An unusual structural phase transition in Rb2HfF6

An unusual structural phase transition in the crystalline compound Rb₂HfF₆ near room temperature has been observed from perturbed angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy. Our measurements in this compound produce two different crystalline configurations characterized by ω_Q=74.1(1) Mrad/s, η~0, δ~0 and ω_Q=24.7(2) Mrad/s, η=0.53(1), and δ=4(2)%. From PAC measurements in different samples, it is found that crystal structure corresponding to ω_Q=74 Mrad/s, η~0 transforms to the other quite arbitrarily with temperature and no definite temperature corresponding to this transition has been observed. This can possibly be attributed to displacive phase transition.